The present invention relates to an image processor and an image processing program for applying image processing to input data and transferring the data to a print engine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technique for reducing the time for printing input data by reducing image processing time and data transfer time to a print engine.
Generally in full color printers, in response to an input of RGB data from an application program (hereinafter referred to as “an application”), an internal controller (data generating unit) converts the RGB data to raster data (bitmap data), which is followed by color conversion to CMYK data. As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. H6-238950 and H9-83811, the internal controller subsequently converts the CMYK data to data having a small number of gradations consistent with the printing capability of a print engine by executing image processing such as error diffusion and halftone processing, and then transfers the resultant data to the print engine, so that an image is formed on a print sheet.
In the full color printer thus configured, since the data volume processed by the controller is four times as large as that with a monochrome printer, the image processing time and data transfer time to the print engine in the full color printer are longer compared to the monochrome printer, and accordingly long time is required to print the input data.
The present invention has been achieved in order to solve the above problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an image processor and an image processing program that can reduce the time for printing input data by reducing image processing time and data transfer time to a print engine.